The present invention relates generally to the field of paper winding machines, and relates more specifically to a core loading apparatus associated with a slitter, in which a wide web is subdivided into narrower sub-webs and the individual sub-webs are wound on individual cores alternately located on spaced winding drums.
In known roll slitting or cutting machines, a wide web is slit longitudinally into a plurality of sub-webs, and adjacent sub-webs are alternately directed to winding stations at spaced locations. In a typical such installation, two winding drums are provided and alternate sub-webs are rewound thereon along axes substantially in alignment. In the typical biwinder or duplex winder of the type described, the individual winding stations for each of the sub-webs produced by the slitter each have associated therewith an individual core loading magazine, and the magazine for each contains a number of winding tubes or cores which correspond with the width of the sub-webs. When a change is made in the slitting operation to a different cutting program, and a new width of sub-web is required, all the magazines for the individual core loading stations must be cleared of the existing cores and resupplied with new cores of the proper size for the new width of sub-webs being created.
Clearing the core loading magazines of existing cores and reloading the magazines with new cores can be quite time consuming, and significantly delays the start of a new slitting operation.
It is therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide an automatic core loading apparatus for supplying cores automatically to winding stations following a slitter.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a core loading apparatus which can be changed quickly and efficiently from operation for loading one size of cores to an operation for loading a different size cores when an alternate slitting program is to begin.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic core loading apparatus for individual winding stations following a slitter, which handles cores smoothly and efficiently, minimizing jamming and misalignment of the cores.